Houston City Council to pursue $23 million in damages from BP over Gulf oil spill

BP's Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in April 2010.

April 17, 2013 2:57:49 PM PDT

HOUSTON --

Houston City Council has made an eleventh hour decision to pursue $23 million in damages from BP nearly three years after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill devastated the Gulf Coast area.

City council voted 10 to 5 in favor of the move. Those supporting the litigation say the city has an obligation to pursue money it lost in hotel and sales tax revenue because of the disaster. But some council members objected to the lawsuit, questioning its late timing and the motivation.

"The pension problems and the medical care problems of the city is not BP's fault. So let's not look for money to solve problems that we have to solve for ourselves," said Council Member Jack Christie.

City Council Member C.O. Bradford told us, "I think we have a fiduciary duty to try and collect on behalf of the city of Houston to the extent that demonstrated in the court of law that the damage in fact has occurred, and Houston has suffered a loss."

The deadline for filing the suit is April 20. ___________________________________________________________